


One Last Time (Title for now)

by Emberleaf23



Series: The Magic Animal Club Chronicles [2]
Category: Magic Animal Club
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I stole undertale's concept of resets, M/M, but it's more handholding and stuff, except squimpy, heh, i'm in danger, oof, ships are mostly mentioned, writing is hard and very fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29097027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emberleaf23/pseuds/Emberleaf23
Summary: Squid is sick and tired of losing everything.Then, suddenly, he doesn't have to.
Relationships: Ashdubh/Snakedoctor73, Stampylongnose/iBallisticSquid
Series: The Magic Animal Club Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134365
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> Turned it into a series! I know not a lot of people know Stampy and Squid anymore, but they're funny, ya'll. And really fun to write, so sue me.
> 
> The title- I wasn't sure if I wanted it to be 'One Last Time' so I added 'title for now' and accidently made a reference. I'm not changing it now. I also make Race To The Moon memes on my Tumblr (also @Emberleaf23 aka Fandom Trash) so head there for some memes (If you want to).
> 
> Sorry about the ships, I probably won't write about them much (though I do have some shippy story concepts if you do want them- most MAC story ideas I have work either way).
> 
> I think that's it. Enjoy!

They did it. 

Everyone was pushed into the pool of life, turning stone back to skin and rock back to limbs.

Finally, they'd completed their mission, saved their friends.

Ash and Squid stood above the pool, grinning (was it just Ash, or did Squid's seem a little fake?) brightly. 

But Stampy's sharp hearing picked up a tiny crack from the ceiling above.

A rock was dislodged from the ceiling, falling quickly and silently. Stampy only had the time to shout out before it slammed into Squid, making his world go black.

\---

Squid was really getting tired of being hit in the head.

The first time it happened, he woke up in 2013, where Ash and Amy proposed their _brilliant_ idea of a moon race. He knew the past (or the future...?) had been real, but he was somehow back in time.

He didn't know how, or why, but he was quite anxious about what would happen if he changed anything from what happened the first time.

What if he broke time or something? Ended up destroying everything?

He couldn't risk it, so he let things replay.

Over.

And over.

And _over._

_And over._

_And_ **_over._ **

_**And over.** _

_**And OVER.** _

_**AND OVER.** _

He was starting to go a little crazy, if he was being honest.

So when he stepped into the lower level that contained their supposed prize (talking yet again of buying a speed boat, like he didn't know what was coming), only to find something impossible, he stopped in genuine surprise.

There was amazing news... and awful news. Really, they were melded together.

Broomy wasn't stone, instead holding a sobbing Ash. However, Snake had taken Broomy's place, being frozen in stone like Stampy and Pink Team, which was probably why Ash was sobbing.

After all, the two were gonna get married after the race was finished.

Why it was good news? Because it was different.

It meant that Squid could change things without destroying anything and everything.

He paused for about 8 seconds, absorbing such information, then walked over to Ash, Chache staring at the statues in shock.

Squid crouched in front of Ash. "Ash, we can save him. We can save all of them."

Ash just barely raised his head, red eyes meeting Squid's sad yet calm gaze. _"How?_ Squid, they're made of s-stone! We can't- _I_ can't-" He broke down into another fit of sobs.

"Ash, I can stop this before it even happens. And even if I couldn't, we'd still be able to turn them back. But you need to get back on your feet." Squid said quietly, putting a hand on the Green Leader's shoulder.

Ash's sobs faded to hushed sniffles. He got back to his feet, leaning on Broomy's shoulder for support. "What do you mean?"

Squid sighed, then gestured to a book no one had noticed yet. 

"That explains what happened. In short, the prize was a lie, a farce. Some aliens with the ability to turn things to stone escaped NASA and captured both almost everyone at NASA and our friends here. 

"They're working on Mars, where they believe we won't be able to stop them, or even get close. Basically, they're planning to destroy and/or conquer Earth and we're the only ones who can stop them. 

"On Mars, there's a pool called 'The Pool of Life.' It and it alone can revert our friends back to themselves."

Chache straightened, thumbed through the book, and closed it. "Squid, how exactly did you know that? You didn't even glance at it, just paused then went to Ash."

Squid took a deep breath. "Because we've done this before. We made it to Mars, pushed them in the pool, and they swam to the surface on their own. However, right afterward, a rock fell from the ceiling and clocked me on the head, knocking me out. 

"I woke up in 2013, where Ash and Amy told me about their idea for a moon race. I knew I'd gone back in time, but I was afraid of changing anything from how it was the first time. 

"What if I destroyed everything by accident? Doomed everyone because of one tiny change? So I let it replay. And it did. Over and over, repeating like a broken record. Until now, anyway."

They all took in the information silently, Broomy speaking out. "Then what's different this time? What changed that made you tell us what's really going on? You couldn't have told us about this the first time- you didn't know about it then."

Squid looked away, seeming to take sudden interest in the stone brick walls. "It was you."

Ash narrowed his blotchy eyes. "Pardon?"

"Every other time, Broomy was frozen and Snake was here, reacting to his friends being frozen just like Ash and Chache. But somehow, this time... you've traded places. That's why I told you- I knew that it was safe and that I wouldn't destroy everything." Squid admitted.

Ash curled his lip, sudden rage flashing in his eyes. 

"So you're telling me that because my fiancé was turned to stone- and _only_ because my fiancé was turned to stone- you were able to tell us that we were living our lives over and over again and were previously hindered because of a little _anxiety?"_

Both Chache and Squid winced, Chache taking a step towards the two in case a fight broke out.

It would be a fight in which Squid wouldn't defend himself, while Ash would fight tooth and nail.

But Ash backed off with a quiet, exhausted sigh. "The only reason I'm not punching you in the face is because you said you could save them before they were ever turned. How?"

Squid got on with it. "It's the beginning of a plan, but if I'm knocked out again, I may skip Mars and wake up in 2013. Let everything stay the same. Then, on the Moon, cut them off before they wonder into danger. 

"I can ask them to all meet up at Blue Base or something. Then, I can explain what's going on and we can go to Mars as a group of 9, not 4. Chances are, you won't even remember this. You guys never remember past timelines, so this trauma will likely be forgotten as well."

Ash glanced at Snake. 

If Squid was right and his plan worked, Snake would be fine, and Ash wouldn't have to remember the horror of seeing his fiancé frozen in stone. 

For Snake, he agreed.

"Okay, fine. We knock you out, and you save them?" He asked for clarification.

Squid nodded. "That's the idea. Chache? Could ya knock me out?"

Chache nodded and took out a baseball bat that Squid wasn't bothered to ask where he got.

"Wait." Broomy said, making them pause. "What if you cut them off, but get captured yourself?"

Squid gave a sad smile. "I'll write everything down in a journal and give it to someone while I'm cutting them off. But if I don't come back... would ya tell Stampy something?"

Chache saddened. "Anything."

Squid smiled. "Tell him... tell him I love him. Good luck, guys. You'll need it."

(Frankly, Squid wasn't sure why he bothered. They wouldn't remember anyway, but, well. Hoping for the best, he supposed, wasn't awful.)

And with a sad nod from the other three occupants of the room, his world went black once again.

\---

Squid woke up in 2013 for the 704th time. But it was the first time in which he sat up and smiled.

Finally, finally, he could save them.

\---

Squid made extra gear in the middle of the night, when Stampy and Chache were deep in slumber. He hid it in a chest under the chests filled with cobblestone, the ones that (for some goddamn reason) survived.

He wrote in his Journal, dyed leather the color of dull waves, doodled swirls in the margins when he was thinking of how to word something, the golden amber light from the single torch in his tiny room helping him write throughout the night.

He used it generally as a log of events and preparations, detailed explanations of what had happened the first time- the Hunger Games, the tropical island, the waterfall that had hid the entrance, the smell of flowers and soft sand beaches bordering warm water.

Sometimes, he wrote other things, predictions and questions, wonderings. Wondering if Stampy would forgive for what he would do.

Ink stained his skin, clinging even after dives off the balcony. Stampy apparently thought he was writing a story, and smiled whenever he caught sight of the inky smears and blotches.

(Covering scars.)

\---

Stampy offered to go out and look for the moon villages that Squid had wanted to find so long ago. But at that moment? Squid just wanted him to be safe. 

And now, he could be.

"No thanks, Stampy. Look, guys, there's no time to explain, but no matter what, stay inside the base. This is very important. Do not leave the base. Please."

All of a sudden, Squid spoke to them both in a desperate voice, begging them to do as he asked. They both heard that desperation, and frowned.

"Squid, what's going on? Where are you going?" Stampy asked Squid as the Blue Team Leader got ready to go outside the oxygen bubble.

"Stamps, there's no time to explain. But you guys aren't the only ones who are in danger. I'm getting Green Team and Pink Team and bringing them here, where we're all safe. Please, stay here." Squid explained briefly, slipping out the door.

Stampy tried to follow him, but Chache pulled him back in. "Stampy, he took our gear. We can't follow him without suffocating."

(In reality, Squid had put their gear in a hidden chest. That was also mentioned in his Journal.)

Stampy sighed and sat on his bed, silent, his tail lashing.

\---

Squid caught up with the Pink Team first. They were sprinting in a random direction, rather loud for even space. He scoffed fondly and bounded over to them. "Girls! Girls, ya may wanna turn around!"

They turned, seeing Squid, and not seeing the alien that popped up behind them. "Squid!" Amy smiled, not aware that she was seconds away from being turned to stone.

Squid ran up and gently shoved her aside, slashing down the alien before any of them could be turned to stone. Mousie gasped at the alien's sudden appearance and death, while Salem blinked then snarled at it, and Amy jumped about 6 feet in the air(?).

Amy gave Squid a quick hug. "Thanks, Squid Nugget! But why are you here?"

Squid scanned the moon's surface while he answered. "To stop you guys from being captured by those things. You need to go to Blue Base and meet up with Stampy and Chache."

Salem narrowed her eyes. "Why are those grey things after us?"

"Crumpets, tea, global domination. Ya know, the usual stuff. But seriously, you need to get to Blue Base. I'm sending Green Team there too, once I find, well, I'm either lookin' for Broomy or Snake."

Amy straightened. "Let us come with you."

Squid froze, then met her gaze in worried shock, eyes flashing. "Are you insane? I'm trying to get you out of danger, not lead you into it!"

Salem unsheathed her sword. "We're going with you whether you like it or not. We'll watch each other's backs. Besides, we don't even know where Blue Base is."

Squid cursed under his breath in an undersea language. 

"There's no time to argue, anyway. Let's go." He muttered, racing off towards what they originally thought was a small mountain, but was actually a base.

They were right behind him, keeping a lookout for more aliens, each taking up a cardinal direction. Squid and Salem slashed down the guards at the door, wasting no time by running down the stairs.

They burst through the door, seeing Snake seconds away from being turned to stone. Squid snarled and slashed at the alien, saving Snake from becoming a statue. 

8 more aliens appeared from the surrounding walls, advancing.

Squid pushed Snake towards the girls, forcing them all back into the hallway. The doors closed between them, Squid throwing a journal through the remaining crevice that was sealed away in under a second. 

"Go!" He screamed through the stone bricks, trapped inside.

(They heard stone crackling and something that sounded almost like bones snapping- a hiss of pain, a yell of anger.)

Snake had the fastest reaction time, picking up the leather-bound journal and racing up the stairs, Pink Team trailing behind him. They ran far away, stopped to rest, where the Pink Team explained what little they knew.

Snake took it fairly well. "Well, let's go back to Green Base and get Ash and Broomy. Then, we'll run for Blue Base. Ash knows where it is. C'mon."

Amy had tears blossoming in her eyes. "What about Squid?" She whispered. Snake's shoulders fell, while Salem and Mousie looked away. Mousie found her voice first.

"He gave himself up to get us away from those aliens. We shouldn't throw it away. We need to get Ash and Broomy then get to Blue Base. Now. Otherwise, he's gone for nothing." She said.

Salem offered Amy her hand. "C'mon. Let's not waste this."

So they raced to Green Base, where Ash and Broomy were briefed quickly. 

"Well then, we need to get to Blue Base straight away." Ash commented. 

So they rushed out and raced to Blue Base, where Chache opened the door for them. As soon as they entered, Stampy was on his feet, rushing over, tail flicking nervously. 

Immediately, he noticed something very wrong, and his tail stopped flicking and started lashing in worry and panic.

"Where's Squid?"


	2. Not Story (Kinda Announcement)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not part of the story, just kinda an announcement

Hi, guys!

The reason this chapter exists is because I want to kind of describe what I want to do with this series- more specifically what I plan to achieve in general.

Okay, so. Archive Of Our Own has a certain system, right?

Bigger fandoms (Doctor Who, My Hero Academia, Fullmetal Alchemist) have a lot of tags specific to them, and you only need to type in a few letters to find which tag you're searching for. But for tiny fandoms, like Magic Animal Club? You basically have to type in the entire thing, and you still don't get the right suggestion, even just for characters.

(Like, in Ao3's eyes, Stampy (MCSM) and Stampylongnose are different characters, and most people only know him as part of MCSM, and he never really gets a big role. But they're the same person.)

I want to change this.

Basically, my plan is to make enough MAC fics to both give people who want to read this stuff more material, and to make those tags more common and actually in suggestions.

Yeah. I'm gonna try to single-handedly popularize those tags. Obviously, it's gonna be pretty hard.

So, I'm askin' for help.

Guys, if you have ideas for my stories, think of alternate scenes to my scenes, or just have an idea for a new concept: write it! There's a bunch of people who know Stampy and Squid and write- so combine them! You're all so talented and I have no doubt that you'll be able to write amazing stories! Or, heck, you can just send me ideas and I'll write them!

You don't have to listen to this chapter at all, but if you do- thank you so much. Thank you for bothering to read this, thank you for clicking on this story, thank you for taking the time to give my writing a chance- you're amazing.

I hope you'll at least consider writing for this amazing, underrated fandom.

Never be Cruel, never be Cowardly. See ya!

**Author's Note:**

> Inspirations:  
> -Race To The Moon on Youtube (main story)  
> -Mission To Mars on Youtube (main story)  
> -Begin/Again - Undertale Fan song by Amberblaze223 on Youtube (Chapter 1 Title)  
> -One Last Time by Lin Manuel Miranda [Hamilton] on Youtube, ect. (Main title)  
> -Undertale by Toby Fox (resets concept)  
> -He's gone and there's nothing I can do on Ao3 [unfound work] (Ash reaction to Snake and Ash/Snake and Stampy/Squid)  
> -Gravity Falls by Alex Hirsch (Squid's Journal)


End file.
